A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1509, 1583, 1637
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Py, Pye, v.1 [? Erron. for pyl: cf. e.m.E. pile, pyle v. to drive in stakes or piles, e.m.E. and ME pile, pyle n. a pointed stake, etc., OE píl, and Pile n.1 3, and Pileing vbl. n.] a. v. intr. ? To drive in stakes (in fishing). b. attrib. in pye-tre. — 1509 Reg. Great S. 714/1.
Piscaturam suam super aquam Taye … cum potestate vulgariter le schute haill draw py and paill in quacunque parte infra dictos limites — 1637 Acts & Decr. 492, fol. 245b (22 March).
The fishearis of Pearth war in use to park and py thair netis upon the said yleb. 1583 (1584) Reg. Great S. 225/2.
Cum potestate to haill schutt peill and draw nettis on all pairtis usit and wont … and dry the said nettis upoun the pye [? read pyl] treis as said is
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"Py v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/py_v_1>
